With just weeks to go before the launch of the eagerly-awaited Shaun the Sheep trail across Tyneside, the charity behind it is offering people a chance to buy one of the unique sculptures for just £1.
The trail, which follows on from the huge success of the Great North Snowdogs and Elmer the Elephant trails, will see 45 individually-decorated versions of Shaun the Sheep on display throughout the area, while 70 more smaller sheep, with designs created by local schools and community groups, will make up a second trail of their own.
Like the trails before them, the artworks based on the much-loved creation of Oscar-winning studio Aardman Animations, will be raising vital funds to fight cancer. Local charity St Oswald's Hospice has announced it is raffling off a Shaun the Sheep, known by TV viewers as Wallace and Gromit’s fleecy sidekick, with £1 tickets now on sale.
Read more: The unveiling on the Shaun the Sheep sculpture theme at Ouseburn Farm
The star prize for the winner will be a small Shaun sculpture decorated in its traditional black and white. But the lucky winner will have to wait until November for the news as the draw will not be announced until the date of the usual auction that concludes the 'Shaun the Sheep on the Tyne' art trail, which will run for 10 weeks from July 19, inviting people to track down all the sculptures on a jaunt around Tyneside.
Its theme was first announced almost a year ago, when a first sculpture was unveiled at Ouseburn Farm in Newcastle at an event attended by Aardman Animations' commercial director Rob Goodchild who said how pleased the company was to be involved in the charity fund-raiser.
St Oswald's says that, unlike the previous two trails which specifically supported its children’s services, this one will raise funds for the hospice in general. The Newcastle-based charity provides specialist and expert care for locals with life-limiting conditions and the money raised is essential to its work.
Its chief executive Steph Edusei said she hopes people will snap up the tickets “for the chance to win their very own Shaun". She added: “The proceeds from every £1 raffle ticket will go supporting the work of St Oswald’s Hospice, helping to keep our doors open for those who need us."
Tickets will be on sale in the charity’s shops across the region and also online here. During the run of the 10-week trail, raffle tickets also will be available from a central hub to be set up in the foyer of Newcastle Civic Centre where people will be able to pick up trail maps and buy merchandise too.
Newcastle City Council is headline sponsor of the trail which again involves outdoor creative production company Wild in Art and at its end the sheep will be auctioned off in aid of the hospice which needs to raise more than £7m a year to to provide its free services.
Read Next
Children's Cancer Run in Newcastle sees huge turnout as it celebrates its 40-year anniversary
- Pictures recall the highlights of the Elmer trail
The Hoppings promises biggest event yet with extras of live music, more food and return of the bar
First Comic Con North East to bring host of Buffy, Doctor Who and Matilda stars to Newcastle
